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Six hundred families in Krymsk, the town most severely affected by the disastrous flood in Krasnodarsky Krai, in the south of Russia, today began receiving basic necessities from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). At the request of the Russian Red Cross, the ICRC delivered to the town 3,000 blankets, 6,000 candles, 600 kitchen utensil sets, 600 tents and 600 jerrycans from the warehouses of its sub-delegation in Nalchik. ICRC staff and Russian Red Cross volunteers are distributing the aid directly to the needy.

A similar consignment of humanitarian aid intended for 600 more families will be sent to Gelendzhic as quickly as possible.

A total of about 6,000 people will benefit from the aid distributed in the two towns.

The Russian Red Cross, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the ICRC have joined forces to provide effective assistance for victims of the 6 July flood in Krasnodarsky Krai. The International Federation is in charge of the overall coordination of joint activities.

More than 20 regional branches of the Russian Red Cross all over the country have already launched active campaigns to collect material aid and donations to meet the needs of affected residents of Krasnodarsky Krai.

The International Federation has allocated 300,000 Swiss francs (over 10,000,000 Russian rubles, or approximately 307,000 US dollars) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund for targeted operational assistance to 1,000 families (about 4,000 people). This assistance will include distributions of food and other items and action taken to meet sanitary and hygiene needs with the aim of preventing outbreaks of infectious diseases.